Trunk catch or fastener



Dec. 25, 1923.

G. WlLLRlNGHAUS TRUNK CATCH 0R FASTENER FiledkNov. 15. 1921 kalm,

Patented Dec. 25, i923.

massa arrL stares raar ortica.

GUSTAV WhILLB/INGHAUS, F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. NEUIPANN HARDWARE CO., A CORPORATION 0F NEV JERSEY.

TRUNK CATCH on FASTENER.

Application filed November To all whom t may con-cern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAv VILLPIN@ HAUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk y Catches or Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specificaA tion.

This invention relates, generally, lto improvements in that class of catches or fasteners for use with trunks, suitcases, and the like; and, the present invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel trunk or suitcase catch or fastener provided with a simply constructed and positively acting lever-operated mechanism for bringing the two main members of the fastener or catch,

one of which is secured to the body of the trunk or other container, and the other one of which is secured to the lid of the trunk or other container, Yfirmly and securely into their locked relation, or for readily releasing the engaged elements of the catch or fastener-mechanism, when it is desired to raise the lid. Y

The present invention, therefore, has for its principal object Yto provide a novel andv simplyconstructed, as well as a quickly and.

readily operated catch or fastener-mechanism for attachment to and used with the bodies and lidsof trunks, suitcases, and other containers, and at the same time providing a strong andan efficiently operating means for bringing and-retaining the usual holding or retaining loop in a positively fixed' closing relation, so as to guard against any accidental separation of the closed members, and against any accidental opening of the lid when shut down upon'the body of the trunk, or the like.

Other objects of the-present invention not vat this timeimore particularly enumerated,

will beclearly'understood from the .following detailed descriptionof the present `invention.

With the various objects of the present :invention in view, "the said invention consists'yprimaril inthe novel catch erfas- 15, 1921. Serial No. 515,393.

tener for trunks, suitcases, and other containers; and, the said invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, all of which will be more fullyl described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claims, which are appended to and which form an essential part of the saidspeciflcation.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of a trunk or suitcase catch or fastener, showing one embodiment of the principles of the present invention, the main parts of the device being represented in their locked relation; and Figure 2 is a similar viewV of the said catch or fastener, with the main parts of the de- .vice shown in their disengaged relation.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device represented in said Figure l; and Figure l is a central vertical sectional representation of the same. ,t

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a modified construction of trunk or suitcase catch or fastener embodying the principlesY of. the present invention, said view showing the main actuating parts of the mechanism in their engaged positions..v

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the said above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referringnow to the several igures of the drawings, the reference-characters l and 2 indicatcthe respective main body-members of a trunk-catch or fastener, which vmembers may be of any desired marginal configuration, the member l being provided with a series of suitably disposed nail-receiving holes 3 for attachment of said member to the body of a trunk, suitcase, or other container, and the member 2 being likewise provided with a series of nail-receiving holes, as l, for its attachment to the lid or cover of the said body, in the manner usual with such catches or fasteners for trunksy suitcases, and the like. As shown, the main body-member lv has suitably disposed and secured upon its outer face a suitably vconstructed shell vor enlargement,` as 5,v which is preferably hollow and is open at its upper end-portion 6, for the reception of a. guide-lug or projection 7, extending in a downward ,direction fromvthe lower marginal edge of the said body-memto the body-member 2 is a forwardly projecting pivot-pin or stud` 12 upon which is rotatably mounted the Vhub or disc-shaped portion'14 of a releasing arm or lever 13, provided at its free end-portion with a fingerpiece, as 15, for rotating the same from its engaging and retaining position shown in Figure 1, to its disengaged position represented in Figure 2 of tlie'drawings. Upon a portion of its marginal edge, the hub or disc-shaped portion 14 of the arm or lever is provided with a loop-receiving and retaining element 16, preferably in the form of a forwardly extending and arc-shaped hook-like member, adapted, when the arm is moved into veither' of the positions indicated in said Figures 1 and 2, to engageY the connecting member 11 of the securing or retaining loop 9, so as to maintain the lookedrelation ofthe two body-members 1 and 2, or to be disengaged from said member 11, when it is desired to raise the lid or cover of the trunk, or the like.

' To prevent scratching or marring of the face of the body-member 2, when the arm or lever 13 is rotated in either direction, the

faceof said member 2` is preferably pro-V vided witli an arc-shaped rib or projection, as 17,'tlie ends of which are tapered, as at 18 and 19, andnear which the said bodymember 2is provided with suitably formed teat-receiving depressions 2()k and 21, into either of which a teat or projection 22 eX- tending rearwardly from the said arm or leverk 13 is sprung, so as to limit the rotary movement of said armor lever, in either direction, and to hold the same in its loopengaging or disengaged position, aswill be clearly evident.

In the modified construction of trunk-I catch or fastener shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the reference-characters 23 and 24Vindicate the two main body-members of the same, the member 23 being shown with the nail-receiving holes or perforations 25, and the member 24 with the nailreceiving holes or perforations 26. In this construction, the body-member .24 is provided upon its outer face with a forwardly projecting shell or enlargement 27 and a marginal guide-lug or tongue 28, adapted to enter the upper open end-portion of a receiving shell or enlargement 29 .extending yforwardly from the front face of the bodymember 23, substantialliT as shown. Piviii the proper position similar to the arm or lever 13, which ispro-V 'vided at its free end with ak iingerpiece, as

37, for rotating the-said arm or lever into the positions desired. Upon a portionof the marginal edge of the hub or disc-shaped portion 36` of the said arm or lever 35 is a loop-receiving and retaining element 38, similar to the element 16 of the arm or lever 13, adapted, when the armor lever 35 is moved in either direction, to engage the connecting member 33 ofthe securing or retaining loop 31, so as to maintain the locked relation Vof the two body-members 23 and 24, or to be disengaged from said member-33, when-it is` desired to raise the lid or cover ofthe trunk, or the like.' j

ln order to prevent scratching or inarring of the face of the said body-member 23,

when the arm or lever 35 is rotated in eitherdirection, the face of said memberf23' may also be provided with an arc-shaped rib or projection, as 39, the ends of which are tapered, as at 40, and near which the said body-member 23 is providedV with suitably formed teat-receiving depressions 4l, into which a teat or projection 42V extending rearwardly fromthearni or lever 35 can be sprung, for maintaining the said arm or lever in either ofits rotated positions, as will. be evident. j j

The manner of yoperating the arm or-lever of the catch or fastener and its actionv with respect to the holding orreta-ining loop will be clearly understood from an inspection o-f the several figures of the drawings, and is extremely simple, so that any-further description of the saine is deemed unnecessary. Of course I am aware that some' changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts, without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth inthe foregoing speciication, and as defined in the clauses of the claims which are appended thereto. Hence, l do not limit my present invention to the exact arrangement and-combination of the said devices and parts as described in the said specification, noi do I conne myself to the exact details of the construction of vthe said parts, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

l claim: 1. A, catch or fastener for trunks, and the like, Ycomprising a Ypair of body-members,

one of said members being provided with an enlargement, and the other body-member being formed with a series of pin-receiving depressions forming stops, a retaining loop pivotally connected with said enlargement, a lever pivotally mounted upon the outer face of said last-mentioned body-member, a stop-pin extending rearwardly from said lever, adapted to enter into arresting engagement with either of said receiving depressions, and means carried by said lever, said means being adapted to be moved into and' out of retaining engagement with said loop, with the respective movements of said lever.

2. A catch or fastener for trunks, and the like, comprising a pair of body-members, one of said members being provided with an enlargement. and the other body-member being formed with a series of pin-receiving depressions forming stops, a retaining loop pivotally connected with said enlargement, a lever pivotally mounted upon the outer face of said last-mentioned body-member, a stop-pin extending rearwardly from said lever adapted t-o enter into arresting engagement with either of said receiving depressions, and a hook-shaped marginal loopreceiving and retaining means extending from said lever adapted to be rotated into and out of retaining enga-gement with said loop, with the respective movements of said lever. A

3. A catch or fastener for trunks, and the like, comprising a pair of body-members, one of said members being provided with an enlargement, and the other body-member being formed with a forwardly projecting arc-shaped' rib and with a series of pinreceiving depressions providing stops, a retaining loop pivotally connected with said enlargement, a lever pivotally mounted upon the outer face of said last-mentioned body-member, a stop-pin extending rearwardly from said lever, adapted to enter into arresting engagement with either of said receiving depressions, and means carried by said lever, said means being adapted to be moved into and out of retaining engagement with said loop, with the respective movements of said lever.

4L. A catch or fastener for trunks, and the like, comprising a pair of body-members, one of said members being provided with an enlargement, and the other body-member being formed with a forwardly projecting arc-shaped rib and with a series of pinreceiving depressions providing stops, a retaining loop pivotally connected with said enlargment, a lever pivotally mounted upon the outer face of said last-mentioned bodymember, a sto-p-pin extending rearwardly from said lever, adapted to enter into arresting engagement with either of said receiving depressions, and a hook-shaped marginal loop-receiving and retaining means extending from said lever adapted' to be rota-ted into and out of retaining engagement with said loop, with the respective movements of said lever.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of November, 1921.

GUSTAV WILLRINGI-IAUS. 

